Cutting down on fridge waste

One of the things we’ve always had a problem with is letting perfectly good food accidentally sit too long and ending up tossing it. I’ve been working really hard to reverse that trend; in the last couple of years, I’ve always planned meals before going to the grocery store, which has helped, though it’s not too unusual to have something planned go unmade and d’oh! a zucchini or something rots. We’re generally good leftover eaters, unless there are really copious amounts that we can’t stomach after a while. We’re not good at eating the same thing everyday. Anyway, lately my big thing has been really working on using up all the odds and ends in the fridge. It’s going ok. I know there are some nasty scallions that need tossing right now, but I just ate most of the broccoli that had only another few days of life in it, so that’s good.

The other day I sliced a london broil steak in half horizontally; I dusted it with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder and tossed the halves on a hot grill for just a few minutes on each side to get it medium-rare. We ate one half that night; the other day, when it was really hot, we chopped up some romaine in the fridge, a tomato half, a cucumber, and warmed up the steak a minute in a skillet before slicing it and adding it, with some gorgonzola, to the salad. This wasn’t a meal I’d planned for the week; everything was in the fridge for different intended meals and were generally leftovers. It made me quite pleased to work all those “extras” into a solid and very tasty meal.

And you’ll be happy to know I resisted the urge for takeout last night. Joyously, a sea breeze picked up for a little while and made having Alla Checca a possibility. You chop some tomatoes, basil and garlic and toss with salt and olive oil in a big ol’ bowl and let sit. When it’s time to eat, you cook up some pasta and toss. Quick, easy, and relatively heat-free, save boiling the water. Perfect for the rare occasion the heat wave cracks a smidge.